The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced the 15-member squad for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. In a shocking development, the selection committee dropped Shubman Gill from the squad. However, Sanju Samson, who replaced Gill in the fifth T20I against South Africa, has been included in the group.
Another surprise inclusion is wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan. He recently impressed in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy with his explosive knock. Meanwhile, all-rounder Axar Patel has returned to the squad as vice captain.
India Enter 2026 T20 World Cup as Favourites
As the defending champions and the most consistent side in T20 cricket, India head into the 2026 T20 World Cup as clear favourites. Strengthening their case, India won the five-match T20I series 3-1 against South Africa on Friday.
The tournament will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, adding further confidence to an already settled setup.
New Zealand Series Before World Cup
With so many quality players available, picking a final 15-man squad is never easy. Therefore, a few strong contenders were bound to miss out. However, India’s dominance over the past two years speaks for itself.
The team has not lost a T20I series or tournament since August 2023, which means most of the squad was already more or less decided. Only a few spots were undecided, which the selectors decided on Saturday.
The same squad is set to feature in the New Zealand T20I series ahead of the tournament. This series will serve as India’s final preparation before the World Cup. It will provide the team management one last opportunity to test combinations.
India Squad for ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026
Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel (VC), Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Sanju Samson (wk), Washington Sundar, Ishan Kishan, Rinku Singh
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